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Brenda Sue Fulton

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American government official and former military officer
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Sue Fulton
Fulton in 2022
Assistant Secretary of Veterans Affairs for Public and Intergovernmental Affairs
In office
July 2022 – January 2024
PresidentJoe Biden
Preceded byKayla Williams
Chair & Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission
In office
April 17, 2018 – July 1, 2022
GovernorPhil Murphy
Preceded byRaymond P. Martinez
Succeeded byLatrecia Littles-Floyd (acting)
Personal details
BornBrenda Sue Fulton
Political partyDemocratic
EducationUnited States Military Academy (BS)

Brenda S. "Sue" Fulton is a former American government official and former military officer who has served as the assistant secretary of veterans affairs for public and intergovernmental affairs in the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. She commissioned in the United States Army as a signal officer, serving as both a platoon leader and company commander in Germany before receiving an honorable discharge at the rank of captain.

Education

Fulton is a 1980 graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, a member of the Academy's first class to admit women.

Career

LGBT Military Activism

Fulton worked briefly with the Campaign for Military Service (later SLDN), supporting President Bill Clinton's efforts to overturn the ban on gay service. These efforts failed, leading to the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy.

After the inauguration of President Barack Obama in 2009, Fulton served as a founding board member of Knights Out, an organization of LGBT West Point graduates, and later OutServe, the association of actively-serving LGBT military members. In those roles, she advocated for repeal of "Don't Ask, Don't Tell," and worked closely with the Pentagon on implementation of the repeal. She is still active in Knights Out,. She also served initially as the president of SPARTA, an LGBT military group advocating for transgender military service.

Fulton was among the more than 75 USMA women alumni who attended the first Ranger School graduation to include women, calling the moment as important as her classmates' own graduation from West Point.

West Point Board of Visitors

In 2011, Obama appointed Fulton to the West Point Board of Visitors, making her the first openly gay person to serve as a board member in its history. She spoke as part of a three-person panel at the first-ever LGBT pride event held at the Pentagon, where she discussed her experiences in the Army and at West Point.

In 2013, Fulton openly challenged the Academy leadership on its handling of cadet misconduct, specifically related to sexual harassment and assault. Her tenure has been marked by increased diversity in entering classes, with higher percentages of African-American, Latino, and women cadets.

In 2015, Fulton was elected chairperson of the Board of Visitors at West Point, making her the first woman graduate to hold that position.

New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission

In February 2018, Governor Phil Murphy of New Jersey appointed Fulton as chair and chief administrator of the Motor Vehicle Commission, and is part of the first majority-female cabinet in New Jersey's history.

Fulton administered the MVC’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The MVC expanded online services for most transactions. After months of closure due to COVID-19, MVC offices throughout the state were allowed to re-open on July 7, 2020. As the first state agency to fully open to in-person customer service, Fulton instituted strict COVID-19 preventive measures as well as a new text notification system to successfully protect employees and customers.

Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs

Fulton was nominated by President Joe Biden to the office of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs. During her Senate confirmation hearing, she faced opposition from Republican senators over past statements and tweets critical of Republicans and conservative Christians. The position of Assistant Secretary of Defense for Manpower and Reserve Affairs is in charge of oversight of military chaplains and religious accommodations in the military. Those who opposed her nomination expressed concern that the views that she had repeatedly expressed in public would not allow her to be politically and religiously neutral in carrying out her responsibilities if her nomination were confirmed. In June 2022, it was reported that her nomination would be withdrawn by the White House and she would be placed in a senior role at the VA, assistant secretary for public and intergovernmental affairs, which does not require confirmation. The nomination was officially withdrawn on September 29, 2022.

Personal life

In 2012, Fulton and Penelope Dara Gnesin became the first couple to be married in a same-sex marriage at the U.S. Military Academy's Cadet Chapel at West Point (not to be confused with the Old Cadet Chapel). Gnesin died of breast cancer in 2019.

References

  1. ^ "Obama Names First Openly Gay Veteran To West Point Advisory Board". HuffPost. 2011-07-06. Retrieved 2019-04-30.
  2. "First female West Point graduate reflects on historic anniversary". CBS News. May 28, 2015. Retrieved January 10, 2015.
  3. "Sue Fulton makes history at the U.S. Military Academy". Windy City Times. September 14, 2011. Retrieved January 20, 2016.
  4. Dao, James (2011-07-07). "Opening Doors at West Point". At War Blog. Retrieved 2019-04-30.
  5. ^ "11 Out Veterans You Should Know". NBC News. 10 November 2017. Retrieved 2019-04-30.
  6. Parco, James E.; Levy, David A. (2016-09-17). Evolution of Government Policy Towards Homosexuality in the US Military: The Rise and Fall of DADT. Routledge. ISBN 9781134916320.
  7. "Two West Point graduates become first female soldiers to earn Ranger tab". Ledger-Enquirer. August 17, 2015. Archived from the original on August 19, 2015. Retrieved January 10, 2016.
  8. "Band of Sisters: West Point alumni watch Ranger grads open doors for female soldiers". Ledger-Enquirer. August 22, 2015. Retrieved January 10, 2016.
  9. "Brenda 'Sue' Fulton, Openly Gay Veteran, Named To West Point Advisory Board". The Huffington Post. July 6, 2011. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
  10. "Pentagon Holds First Gay Pride Event". Military.com. June 27, 2012. Retrieved January 11, 2016.
  11. "Obama Appointee To Board Of West Point Slams Military Academy On Latest Sex Scandal". The New Civil Rights Movement. June 20, 2013. Retrieved January 10, 2016.
  12. "West Point Board of Visitors gets an 1980 grad as leader". Washington Times. Retrieved 2015-03-30.
  13. "First female chair named of West Point's Board of Visitors - News - recordonline.com - Middletown, NY". M.recordonline.com. 2015-03-26. Archived from the original on 2015-04-06. Retrieved 2015-03-30.
  14. "Murphy taps Sue Fulton to head Motor Vehicle Commission". Asbury Park Sun. Asbury Park Sun. 20 February 2018. Retrieved 2018-05-19.
  15. "Governor Murphy Appoints Cabinet Members to Lead the Department of Higher Education, Motor Vehicle Commission, and Civil Service Commission". Office of the Governor. Office of the Governor. Retrieved 2018-05-19.
  16. "Amid Coronavirus Shutdown, NJ Expands Online Services for Drivers, Again". NBC10 Philadelphia. NBC10 Philadelphia. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
  17. "NJ Motor Vehicle Agencies Closed Since Mid-March Ready to Reopen". NJ 101.5. NJ 101.5. Retrieved 2020-12-17.
  18. "President Biden Announces Key Administration Nominations in National Security". 23 April 2021.
  19. "Anti-Republican tweets haunt NJ MVC chief up for Pentagon job". 8 October 2021.
  20. "Senators Tear into Pentagon Nominee to Oversee Chaplains as Being Anti-Christian". 7 October 2021.
  21. "GOP senators target Pentagon nominee over 'offensive' tweets". Politico. 7 October 2021.
  22. "Controversial Pentagon nominee will be put into VA leadership instead". 8 June 2022.
  23. "Nomination and Withdrawal Sent to the Senate". 29 September 2022.
  24. "West Point chapel hosts its first same-sex wedding". Boston Globe. Associated Press. 2 December 2012. Retrieved 2013-09-08.
  25. Singer, Paul. "Lifestyles". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 2013-09-08.

  1. "Frustrations Mount As Drivers Wait For Hours Outside New Jersey's Motor Vehicle Commission Offices". 2020-07-08. Retrieved 2020-07-13.
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